Jane Roper's Blog, page 23

Hurricane in the Brain, Part 2

Hello! I’m back — with the shocking, appalling and at times downright absurd sequel to my tale of the worst week ever. But before I get into that, I just want to thank you for the many wonderful, kind and comforting responses to my post about Clio’s seizure. Writing that post, and feeling your support,... Read the Rest »

Hurricanes in the Brain – Part I

This past week has completely, totally sucked. I’m sorry; I don’t have any more eloquent or insightful way to put it. Really, it has been awful. And not because we lost power or our house was flooded or destroyed — and my heart goes out to those for whom this was the case, truly; For... Read the Rest »

One Down, Three to Go

Well, THAT was easy! Clio’s first course of high-dose, intravenous methotrexate (does it get you hot when I throw around names of chemotherapies?) was a roaring success. Or, for you regular readers, a cute little mouse. We went in to the Jimmy Fund Clinic on Friday morning where Clio got a lumbar puncture for intrathecal... Read the Rest »

In Which I Chop off My Hair

Well, we’re still here at home. Clio’s numbers still weren’t high enough to start her next round of chemo, but we’re going to test again tomorrow and possibly go in on Friday. Or maybe it’ll end up being next week. Who the hell knows! It’s completely beyond our control. Speaking of things being beyond our... Read the Rest »

Going for Gold in Pinktober

So, first a quick update: Remember that shadow on the wall that might have been either a teensy weensy mouse or a big, badass rat? Well, it turned out to be….neither! Who knows? Clio’s white blood cell counts last week were too low — a normal, though quite delayed reaction to the last round of... Read the Rest »

The shadow on the wall

You know in cartoons, where someone sees a shadow on the wall that looks like some giant creature / villain about to creep around the corner, and then it turns out to be a little mouse or something equally harmless? I feel like I’m looking at that shadow right now, and my little cartoon heart... Read the Rest »

Of Side Effects and Kindergarten (and Monkeys)

1. Side Effects Step right up and see her — Miss Clio Moock! The Amazing Side Effect Girl!! Yes, Clio continues her streak as the kid who gets rare and sometimes mysterious reactions to chemo. This past week at the cclinic she had a reaction to something called Peg-asparaginase. Her face got suddenly very red... Read the Rest »

Entitled

Our household is not part of Mitt Romney’s infamous 47% of voters who don’t pay taxes, and ergo are, in his words, people who are “dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to... Read the Rest »

The Day I Found Out Clio had Leukemia

I wrote a piece about the unforgettable (and unforgettably awful) day we found out Clio had leukemia. It’s up over at Babble, if you want to check it out. Excerpt below: *** I will never forget the look on the doctor’s face just before she told me that my five-year-old daughter had cancer. I had... Read the Rest »

My Reading Life: Aspiration vs. Reality

  If I had an extra hour in every day, I know exactly how I’d spend it: working out. Just kidding!! As if. No, I’d spend it reading. No question. Sometimes I think I should have been a librarian. Or a bookstore owner. Or a successful, bestselling author who gets to read when they’re not... Read the Rest »